Spider-Man: No Way Home sent shockwaves across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if most of its inhabitants don't realize it. The film's final moments erased Tom Holland's Peter Parker from the world's memory, meaning any and all prior friendships he had before No Way Home were strangers once more. In order for Spider-Man to win, Peter Parker had to lose.
Another consequence of Doctor Strange's spell was that all Multiversal tourists were sent back to their universes. Everyone from Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin to Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man evaporated into light as they were transported to the places they call home.
Considering how Spider-Man: No Way Home played out, many assumed the ramifications of the memory spell were mutually exclusive: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men would return home, while Tom Holland's Peter Parker would become a nobody within the MCU. While that is how director Jon Watts intended for it to go, the writers of No Way Home teased exploring the ripple effects of Strange's memory spell in other universes.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Bigger Consequences
Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon once insisted he was "a nobody," and if Spider-Man: No Way Home played out differently, Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker might have joined him.
Speaking to IGN, Spider-Man: No Way Home writer Erik Sommers revealed they "had ideas" for Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's worlds post-Doctor Strange spell:
"Believe me, we talked about it and we actually had ideas for, you know, ways of showing the effects if there were any. I mean, believe me, these are all great questions."
Co-writer Chris McKenna also noted the two were "tempted" to explore the ripple effects in a mid-credits scene, but ultimately wanted to keep "the emotion" on Tom Holland's Peter Parker:
"Chris and I even were tempted to maybe, you know, pitch a tag where you got to see something. 'What would happen if this guy goes back and this has changed? Wouldn't that be fun?' Again, we didn't want to distract from the emotion of what was going on with our Peter Parker."
Spider-Man: Anonymous Superhero
Regardless of whether the memory spell impacted Maguire and Garfield, their worlds were absolutely altered.
Every antagonist that leaped across universes was "cured" before being sent back. This means Norman Osborn is no longer dealing with a Green Goblin split personality, Max Dillon is free from his voltage-based corruption, and Flint Marko only has to worry about sand in his shoes when he goes to the beach.
Those changes alone mean things are not the same for Maguire and Garfield's homes. Mix in the possibility of their Peter Parkers feeling some of that memory spell residue, and both Spider-Men have more on their plate than they could have ever anticipated.
While most of the No Way Home aftermath for Maguire and Garfield will only be explored through speculation, fans could get their answers regarding the former as soon as this May.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will reportedly be released on home media on March 22, 2022.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
